SOCIAL MEDIA

What Safe (Twitter) Spaces Mean for the Marketing Community

Word on the virtual street is that Twitter Spaces’ full release is just around the corner. The little blue bird’s answer to Clubhouse is set to roll out to all users in April, per The Verge.

That brings up some questions for marketers. Will Spaces be able to blend the success of Marketing Twitter™ with Clubhouse’s appeal as a networking and learning platform? And if it does, will Clubhouse’s manterrupting spill over? 

On that last point: Twitter Staff Product Designer Maya Gold Patterson told Marketing Brew she mapped out the platform with “safe spaces” in mind. 

• “Spaces was initially released to a small group of people from underrepresented communities” because Twitter wanted their feedback first, Patterson said.
• The Twitter team turned that feedback into new features in beta testing, such as a “Mute all” button to completely reset the speaker stage if it gets unwieldy. On Clubhouse, moderators have to mute speaking participants one by one.

And now onto that first question

Marketers who use both Twitter and Clubhouse are already getting excited about Spaces welcoming more voices.

• “The inability to have Android users on Clubhouse does limit the diversity of voices,” Christina Garnett, HubSpot senior marketing manager, told Marketing Brew. 
• “Twitter already has an incredible networking culture that is likely to be replicated through Spaces. Clubhouse has too many ‘gurus’ and not enough real people to be taken seriously in the careers field,” content strategist Cameron Dower said. 
• “I feel like Clubhouse people are speaking at you like a lecture, but Spaces is more of a conversation,” Yanko Design head of social Chi Thukral told Marketing Brew. 

But others say Clubhouse’s existence outside the Twittersphere might make it more inclusive...in a different way:

• “If someone isn't into using Twitter, they won't be able to join your Spaces. But Clubhouse feels neutral,” PromoPrep Head of Growth Chantelle Marcelle told Marketing Brew. 
• Marcelle also thinks there’s an element of discoverability on Clubhouse that Twitter doesn’t have down yet, saying, “Random people with no connections to you often stumble into a room.”

My takeaway: Just because Twitter Spaces was built with inclusivity in mind doesn’t mean it’ll be more inclusive than Clubhouse in practice—the various factors at play will make it hard to know until we know.

+1: We didn’t even get into Spaces’ viability as a marketing channel—frankly, it feels too soon to draw conclusions. But hit reply with any thoughts or predictions . 

PARTNERSHIPS

Spaced Out

Whole Foods announced a new partnership with the wellness and meditation app Headspace, because who hasn’t lost their mind at those prices—am I right, folks?

But seriously: The two are releasing a series on Instagram’s IGTV which will look to help people “focus on mindful shopping, cooking and eating.” It runs through the end of March.

Everyone needs to calm down

This isn’t the first time Headspace and its peers have entered into surprising partnerships. Headspace worked with Hinge for a “pre-date” meditation series and Nike for “mindful runs” to serve an athlete’s “holistic needs.” Meanwhile, Calm caught a wave of attention after sponsoring CNN’s election night alerts.

• In Calm’s case, it led to immediate results: a 248% jump in social media mentions on Election Day versus the previous day.

Big picture: After a brutal 2020, it isn't surprising that we've seen so many brands try to offer audiences (or awkward first dates) some peace of mind. But when “wellness” can mean anything from eating mindfully to dating mindfully, to even mindfully filing your taxes, at a certain point the strategy could grow tiresome to consumers.

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MEDIA RIGHTS

Usual Suspects

Philadelphia Eagles fans will have new ways to watch their team lose next season, and marketers will have new ways to reach them in their moment of pain. Last week, the NFL announced its broadcast partners through Tom Brady’s projected retirement year, 2033.

Familiar faces: You won’t have to search too hard to find your team. CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon are all retaining their broadcasting rights with the league. 

Unfamiliar places: Even if you’ve cut the cord, you’ll still be able to stream games on many broadcasters’ streaming services.

• Paramount+ will be home to any game broadcast on CBS, and ESPN+ will get anything running on ABC and ESPN. ABC has also picked up two Super Bowls, its first since 2006.
• Amazon Prime will get exclusive rights to the league’s least watched (but still incredibly popular) Thursday Night Football broadcasts, reportedly spending $1.2 billion annually for the rights.

It wasn’t cheap: It’s believed the deals are valued at around $113 billion over the next 11 years. But broadcasters are probably not too concerned. Last season, brands spent roughly $4.5 billion to advertise during the NFL’s regular season alone.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Facebook is reportedly creating a version of Instagram for children under 13.
• The Richards Group’s alumni have gone on to create their own cottage industry of shops after founder Stan Richards’ racist remarks last year. 
• Krispy Kreme’s latest promo? Offering free donuts to anyone who can present a valid vaccination card.
• David Dobrik stepped down from his social media app Dispo and lost multiple brand sponsorships after sexual assault allegations against a member of his “Vlog Squad.”

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AD ANTIQUES

Vintage Ad Browser

In 1955, sending humans to outer space was conceivable, but Twitter “Spaces” and Headspace weren’t . 

ICYMI

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• How TVision pitches new measuring tools for marketers
• Marie Kondo sparks influencer marketing joy—here’s why
• Why NFTs are multiplying like rabbits in stunt marketing